Fruit-picker&#39;s bag.



FRUIT PICKERS BAG. APPLICATION FILED H5121. 1914,

Patented July. 20,1915.

J re Lil i 5,4539.

npplication T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that L'SUEKICi-ii h looinoii', a sulnect of the Emperor of Japan, residing 'at Upland, in the county of San Eernardino ried by fruit pickers for receiving oranges,

provide improved means to r. easlng the descent of the fi -nit embodiment of my inventio a metal Wire apron at is lemons, and other fruit as it picked from the trees,

The main object of i provide improved invention for holding lower end of the na closed during t e ing operation in such manner as as far as possible thenatnral shape hag and provide for mitiillnlliil carrying capacity. 7

f Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for onshioning the rnit in the hag to prevent abrasion, tine to piling of fruit one A further object of the u The accompanying dra c, thereto: Figure 1 is front ovation oi bag with the lower end in ciosed position, Fig. 9: is side elevation 'Wl iower end open. Fig. is vertie hag with the lower endclo plan View of the hag section howing the I: support g apron the bag l, may n oher suitable shape, and marin o. whose g aronnd The canvas may he ap noxnna U front portion may he cni form to the front o l the-hag.

is rolledovcr the siipporting fire-inc 2, and,

seaineo to retain it thereon, the roll at the front portion of frame being enlarged, and stuffed with cushioning material, such as hair or excelsior, to form a pad or cushion 8, for preventing abrasion of the fruit due to striking the front edge oi? the bag. An attached at front edge to the canvas in front of the cushion means 3, and extends obliquely downward and rearward toward the rear Of the bag, being spaced from the rear rail of the bag, learing a space or opening 5 between the rear edge of this apron the rear Wall of the o the b a means wary Serial Ei'o. 8%,35'7.

bag, for passage of fruit into the hag. "The rear edge or this apron is supported by an elastic tension member, for example, an elastic strip or cord 6, passed through a heading 7 on the rearedge of the apron, and secured at its ends to arms 8, extending downwardly from. hangers 9, which support the hag frame 2 on the suspension means hereinafter described, Each of said hangconsists of a Wire bent in inverted V-. shape and formed with a loop ,12 at its upper end for" receiving the suspension means, and hen-tat its lower portion to form eyes 13 surrminding the bag frame 2, the arm. 8 being a downward prolongation of. one of the arms of this inverted ii-shaped member. The other arm of each hanger is inafter set forth. v

The suspension means consists of a strap or sling 18, of canvas or other'siiitable material adapted to pass over the 'pickers er, and provided Witl'i loops 19 at acn end. A hook 20 connected to the loop a one end of the suspension strap 18 en the loop 12 at. upper-end of the r at one-side of the bag frame The 1% of the hanger 9 at the other side of agframe is connected by rope or other nitahle means 21, to an eye lia'on' the loop 19 at the other end of this suspension strap,-

this 22, and being the requisite length for the suspending The bag 1 scans are provided. for holding up the her end to retain the fruit in the bag. r his purpose a cord is attached to the 11:19 hag, at each side,'near the lower end, is'passed throngh eyes 26' on the hag, said cord be ng provided at its free end with a ring or eye 27, to engage in the hook it aforesaid, I

Partition cloths or pads 28 are prefer-- rope being tied to the loops liland eye of suchiength as to PIOYldQ provided with a hook 16 for a purpose here f is open at the lower end, and

ably provided Within the bag for separating layers, said cloths or pads being the fruit in I slidahly vmounted;on cords or means 29, extending vertically Within the bag, said cords or retaining means being for retaining 3 p example, secured at their ends tot-he rear Wall of the bag The bag 1- is provided on its rear face with a pad 30, adapted to rest on the ground when the bag is being filled whilev the picker is in. steeping pos tion picking up 'fruit pads 28 are drawn up and turned over back from the ground, thereby preventing damage to the fruit by falling on the bottom of the bag. This padBO is at the rear of the bag when in opened position, shown in Fig. 2, but at the bottom of the'bag when in folded position, shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

; The bag is used as follows: The suspendlng strap or sling 18 is passed over the pickers shoulder so that the bag remains in front of the picker. The partition cloths or of the bag so as to extend between the bag and the body of the picker, serving at this time as a cushioning means for the bag. The cords or retaining devices 25, are drawn up so as to bend up the lower end of the bag and gather in the side portions of said lowerend, the rings 27 at the upper ends of these cords being caught onto the hooks 16, so as to hold the lower portion of the bag in bent up position and keep the bag in condition to retain the fruit. The fruit as it is picked is dropped or deposited on the apron 4 and rolls down through the opening 5 into the bag. The elastic tension means 6 serve as an elastic support for the apron to enable more effective operation thereof in easing or cushioning the descent of the'fruit, this tension means, being connected to the arms 8 of the suspension hangers 9, is thereby retained in stretched condition and does not draw in or buckle the sides of the bag the pull of the suspension. strap on said hangers serving to keep said hangers substantially vertical.

When the bottom of the bag has been filled in this manner one of the partition cloths or pads 28is turned over from the outside of the bag to the inside thereof and pushed down on top of the fruit, so that the fruit which is then deposited in the bag will be separated by this pad from the fruit below it and prevent injury to the fruit by the fruit dropping onto that which is already in the bag or by rubbing of the fruit on one another. As the bag is filledthese partition cloths are inserted at suitable intervals to separate the fruit into layers, and provide a pad for receiving the impact of the de- 'scending fruit.

It will be noted that when the bag is be ing filled the increase of weight in the bag tends to draw the retaining cords 25 tighter and thereby gather the sides of the folded portion of the bag more tightly and fold them closer on the bag. The strain of these cords is taken directly by the hangers 9 and does not come upon the bag or the sup-- porting frame 2 thereof. Then the bag is to be emptied the retain mg cords 25 are removed from the hooks 16, and the lower end of the bag allowed to fall to position shown in Fi g. 2, the cords 25 drawing through the eyes 26 so as to al low the gathered portion of the sides of the bag to be straightened out, giving the full discharge opening for the bag.

What I claim is: I

1. In a frait pickers bag, the combination of a bag frame, a bag hung therefrom, an

apron extending obliquely downward and inward from said frame, an'elastic tension means connected to the lower edge of said apron, and means/mounted on said frame for tensioning said elastic means.-

2. Ina fruit pickers bag, the combination of a frame, a bag hung therefrom, a hanger at each side of the bag mounted on said frame, suspension means connected to the hangers on the sides of the frame, each of said hangers having a downward extension, an apron extending from the frame obliquely inward and'downward, and a tension means connected to the lower edge of said apron and connected at its ends to the said downward extending arms of the respective hangers. 3. In a frult'plckers bag, a partltion pad "mounted on the bag to move vertically SUEKICHI MOOHIDA.

In presence of- FRANK M. HEWETT, A. W. Btm'r. 

